Will a winning cover letter help you get a job? According to information and research by Eagle job headhunters here, it is less about what you do and more about what you shouldn’t do. A cover letter is the online equivalent of a handshake. As in real life, it is easy to make no impact at all. It is just as easy to make a poor impression that gets your application ignored.
1. Three Lines of Text is Enough
This is the nexus point between somebody reading, somebody skimming, and somebody ignoring. Imagine if you had to look at hundreds of cover letters per month. Then imagine that somebody writes a six-paragraph essay for their cover letter. Would you bother reading anything more than the top line?
2. Mention Your Biggest Selling Point
If you have a good one, then mention it in your cover letter. For example, if you know how to operate the manual press, then say, “I have 15yrs experience operating the manual press and would love to interview for this job.” Also, make sure your biggest selling points are on your LinkedIn profile too.
3. Don’t Make Excuses
Perhaps you have a big employment history gap, or you were fired from your last job, or you don’t have all the qualifications you need. If this is the case, don’t mention it in your cover letter. Save your excuses for the second interview.
4. Copy the Language in the Advert
When HR staff are working on the same thing over and over, they become like robots. They are told to search for people with certain qualities, and over time, they start to key into the language being used. For example, if the advert says they need “Independent learners,” then throw that phrase into your cover letter.
5. What, Why and Perhaps When
The point of a cover letter is to inform the recipient that you know what you are sending, you know why, and that your goal is to get a certain advertised job. You may also include the periods you are able to work (if it is relevant to the job or your chosen industry).
6. Where You Are Working
This is a risky one, but if your talents are in demand, then it may work in your favor. You can tell the recipient where you are working and how long your notice period is. It is risky, but it shows you are committed to getting the job and that you are in demand by other (possibly rival) companies.
7. Mention People Who Work There
Many online applications ask you if you know somebody who works there already. If you do, then make mention of it in your cover letter (even if you already mentioned it in your application). Say something simple but innocuous, like “Dave from accounting told me about the job.”
8. Make Mention of Who Told You About The Job
This sounds a little manipulative, but all you have to do is contact the HR team about the job, ask to whom you are talking and ask a few relevant questions before sending your application (especially asking if the job is taken already). Then, in your cover letter, you mention the person in HR who answered your questions. Make it simple and pretty generalized. The goal is to make the recipient “Suspect” that somebody from HR suggested you apply without directly suggesting it yourself.
Conclusion
The cover letter isn’t a massive part of the hiring process anymore, especially now that automated resume checkers exist. Nevertheless, you should still make the effort to avoid mistakes and turn your cover letter into a positive influence for your career chances.
